Reading Rehabilitation for Individuals with Low Vision: Research and Practice in the Czech Republic

304 Pages·2016·7.457 MB·English

by  Kamila Růžičková (auth.)

Kamila Růžičková
Reading
Rehabilitation for
Individuals with
Low Vision
Research and Practice in the
Czech Republic
Reading Rehabilitation for Individuals
with Low Vision

Kamila Růžičková
Reading Rehabilitation
for Individuals
with Low Vision
Research and Practice in the Czech Republic
Kamila Růžičková
Dept. Special Education and Speech Therapy
University of Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové , Czech Republic
Advisors
Prof. PhDr. PaedDr. Miloň Potměšil, Ph.D.
Doc. Lea Květoňová, Ph.D.
Doc. PaedDr. Jana Lopúchová, Ph.D.
Translation
Mgr. et Mgr. Vlasta Lišková
Czech Republic National Library cataloguing in Publication Data
617.751 * 316.344.6-056.262 * 617.75-08 * 615.8
376.1-056.262 * 159.262
- Low Vision
- Special Education
- Functional visual capacity
- Vision Rehabilitation
- Reading performance
617 – Orthopaedics. Surgery. Ophthalmology [14]
364-1/-7 – Social Care and Services
ISBN 978-3-319-43652-4 ISBN 978-3-319-43653-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43653-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016948728
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
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Foreword
T he development of vision rehabilitation, including reading skills, is a constant sub-
ject of interest to specialists, and the author of this publication has been dealing with
the issue for many years.
The content of the book is the result of a well-prepared concept. Due to the fact that
the book is intended for professionals, the author considers the factor of development
and discusses the dynamics of individual segments of the concept. The book includes
chapters on visual perception and its defects, psychosocial aspects of visual impair-
ment in the context of the age of their bearers and the status of the issue at the national
level. Most importantly, the book contributes knowledge about the development and
innovation of a rehabilitation programme with the use of modern theoretical, assistive
and technical means. The author’s original scientifi c contribution consists of the cre-
ation of an innovative rehabilitation programme for individuals with low vision along
with the research behind the programme. The results of the research provide verifi ca-
tion data of the effectiveness of this experimental programme.
The client-oriented approach to individuals with low vision, i.e. rehabilitation
with the aim of developing functional vision and reading skills, has become not
only a support for special education facilities but also an important activity for
workers in social and other services. To understand the basic principles, objectives
and methodology of vision rehabilitation, the author works in a broad interdisciplin-
ary context, thus making the publication useful for professionals outside the fi eld of
special education.
Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic Miloň Potměšil
January 20, 2016
v

Pref ace
Care, education and rehabilitation have a long tradition in the lands of Bohemia and
Moravia, parts of the present Czech Republic . Current development has been sub-
stantially infl uenced by it. Signifi cant changes in Czech special education were
made possible by the change of political system in 1989. This date initiated a new
period of development . Twenty-fi ve years of development have shown that the level
of the Czech system of social and rehabilitation services for adults with visual
impairment is in many areas comparable with other developed countries. In a few
selected areas, however, it is necessary to continue to work on development and to
achieve global standards of rehabilitation. One of these areas is rehabilitation of
individuals with low vision.
The need to review the current state of knowledge is suggested and evidenced by
a number of important Czech authors (e.g. Jesenský, Moravcová, Růžičková,
Skalická, Vítková). The author uses in her work numerous foreign professional
works which highlight the need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary-c onceived
rehabilitation intervention focused on the special needs of adults (e.g. Lueck,
Silvestrone, Lang, Rosenthal, Faye et al.).
The publication answers a number of questions concerning functional impact of
vision rehabilitation on the increase of functional visual performance of adults with
low vision. The results of the research confi rmed the high importance of the experi-
mental rehabilitation programme in all its components ( reading rate , reading accu-
racy and reading comprehension) as well as in the monitored intervening variables
(visual acuity , age, level of reading experience and activity).
I mplemented interventions represented a signifi cant potential for the solution of
one of the most acute areas of rehabilitation objectives: they signifi cantly affected
the quality of life of the research group. Based on the achieved data, the author
proposes areas and means for a modernization of the programme of vision rehabili-
tation which represent a potential for increase in the quality and effectiveness of the
programme.
vii
viii Preface
The publication is intended for professionals, especially special teachers or edu-
cation assistants, social and rehabilitation workers. The author hopes that it will
become a stimulus for professional discussions and an improvement of rehabilita-
tion services for persons with low vision.
Recommendation
The need for further development of special education and rehabilitation of indi-
viduals with low vision was stressed as the pivotal conclusion of 2001 international
conference ‘Edukace a rehabilitace zrakově postižených na prahu nového milénia’
( Education and Rehabilitation of Persons with Low Vision at the Threshold of the
New Millennium ) in the Czech Republic.
T he topic of development of a rehabilitation programme for individuals with low
vision was recommended by the Czech prominent specialist Prof. Ján Jesenský,
CSc. (Charles University in Prague). The interdisciplinary research study was
approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital in Hradec Kralove.
Both the University of Hradec Králové and Rehabilitation Centre for Individuals
with Visual Impairment in the Czech Republic participated in the research.
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Kamila Růžičková
Acknowledgements
A cknowledgements for the collaboration go to the colleagues Ján Jesenský and Lea
Květoňová (Charles University in Prague, The Czech Republic), Miloň Potměšil
(Palacky University in Olomouc, The Czech Republic), Jana Lopuchová (Komensky
University in Bratislava, The Slovak Republic) and colleagues from the
Rehabilitation Centre for Individuals with Visual Impairment in the Czech Republic.
Acknowledgements also go to all people with low vision who were participating in
the research. Signifi cant assistance was also provided by the University of Hradec
Králové (The Czech Republic).
ix